The Greatest Moment Ever For Australian Horses

You'll probably be relieved that I've nothing to say about Michael Jackson. Life has instead been taken up with daughters problems...both of them. Those of you who are parents will understand, he said with a sigh and a knowing nod. As a distraction we have a crop of lemons that would keep a decent hotel stocked for weeks (fancy ANOTHER gin & tonic?), and gallons of orange juice from a bumper harvest. No shortage of vitamin C here.

This is probably the greatest moment for our Australian Stock Horses. The opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Who will ever forget it. Great viewing but don't bother reading the usual inane YouTube comments. I don't know why they allow idiots to comment anyhow.

The horse boy - video clip. Enlightened horsemanship through touch - Autism Therapy On Horseback. Never seen this before but it's an interesting approach to a very difficult condition. (Patience, takes a little while to load)

JD Wilton slide show. Probably the greatest horse trainer Australia has ever seen, this is an slide show of the methods used by the great man.

On the same site is a nice little video of horse tricks - also this guy says that he can make his horse smile. Wish I could do that with 'she who must be obeyed'.

Beautiful horses made from driftwood - courtesy of Jake Hamilton

Here's Mercy - the painting horse. She's female of course, men are only good for painting sheds, and some of her work has sold for $100. Would you buy it? Make sure you scroll down to view the video.

Mona Ramouni has been blind since birth, but that hasn't stopped her from achieving her goals. Now 28, Ramouni, of Dearborn, has been looking for more independence. Typically, people who are blind use guide dogs to aid them in their daily tasks, however, Ramouni said as a Muslim she is not supposed to have a dog in her home. While fighting boredom one day, Ramouni, came across a topic she found interesting - miniature horses as guide animals. Read on.

I Hate Your Horse - Living the Dark Truth through the eyes of a horse trainer. Uncensored, uninhibited and far from sugar-coated. Exposing the insanity that is the world of horses, their owners, the breeders, and of course the wacked out wannabes...Welcome to my life...This is what I get the joy of dealing with.
Not my words I hasten to add, but a new blog I found. Just read some of the tales from people who bought 'good' horses. There's a lesson or five in there somewhere.

Dunno if you've ever heard of Badminton (no, not the game, the horse trials in the UK). It's the UK home of eventing and I used to go regularly, in fact on one visit there in a suppliers tent I bumped into Pricess Anne (literally!). That's another story. Here's a great video clip form Olivia Haddow and Horse Hero showing the event from the point of view of 4 very different women. You have to register to watch it but it's no cost and a great future resource too.Good stuff.

Married with Horses, is a long running and amusing real life saga on Equisearch. After months of waiting Jeremy and Kimberly finally meet Mandy's new foal, Justin. Read about the colt's arrival, plus view his photo gallery and video!

Here's the photo gallery

The H10 ointment offer (2 for 1) is still on but I'm running stock down so you'd better be quick.

Have a great week

Royal Easter Show Horse Event Pictures

I missed the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year which was a pity but economics are economics and unfortunately this year they won and I lost. Better luck next year perhaps. However, my good friend Jackie Long had a good show with 'Heza Star' (Heza Bruce/J Star Classic), winning both the ASH Hack NE 15hh Ridden in a Snaffle and Ridden in a Curb Bit. Heza Star went on to be declared Reserve ASH Hack. Well done Jackie.

Here's a new blog....'I'm just a girl. Who's been taken out of Texas to live on a ranch. A ranch on a Reservation. In the middle of South Dakota.' It's worth a look and this week she's been looking at equine dentistry. I went to the dentist this week and I'm considerably poorer than before. Wish I had a licence to print money too.

If you haven't been to Barnmice then you've missed a real treat. I've kept this as a bit of a secret for a while but it's now time to share this excellent site. Horselovers from 151 countries, videos, blogs etc. I joined a while back and it's a good move to join this growing breed of social sites for horselovers.

One question riders commonly ask is "How can I make my horse go straight?" To tell the truth, this was one of the first questions students ask in Matt Gable's Advanced Rider Program. Here's the answer.

How Do You Train A Horse To Buck On Command? I’m not looking at teaching the horse to throw the rider. The horse is very good natured and very willing to learn. If you fall off this horse, she will turn around and nudge you back on your feet and stand perfectly still as you get on, saddle or bareback. Look, not my words but from a blog that received plenty of feedback as you might think. Want to read the replies?

By the way, Julie Wilson has lots of photos from every day of the Royal Easter Show on the Horse Deals site here.

For those of us mad keen to keep in touch with the stars of this world....Madonna's Saturday equestrian accident in the Hamptons was a real bummer, says her physical trainer. "She fell on her bum," Tracy Anderson told PEOPLE. The accident occurred when the horse Madonna was riding was startled by paparazzi who jumped out of the bushes to photograph the singer. Typical eh?

Joel Means is a natural hoofcare barefoot trimmer, a trainer of horses and an instructor to people located in the Austin, TX area. Joel is an advanced student of Parelli Natural Horsemanship who has been following the program for 12 years, and has been helping others with their horses for 8 years. Here's a video of him with horse Chico that's worth looking at.

Hey, we've had one entry only for the April competition. How do you think that makes our tame vet feel? Unwanted. Come along now, we could do with some more entries please. Don't tell us you've never had a funny or amusing incident with your horse? Share it with 1000 others.

Have a great week.

Forget the financial crisis - read this!

Phew - all this financial mayhem is depressing isn't it? I'm a simple guy and can't understand why the fiscal immorality of some has such an disastrous effect on the savings of ordinary people like us.

Anyway, it's great to see local shows back on the calendar including the horse events at last. We're all a bit depressed here though, we've very reluctantly had to pull out of sponsorship of the Royal Easter Show next year. The EI epidemic flattened our grooming products business so much that we just can't afford it. I'm sure that we'll be back there in 2010 though.

Have a look at this - my friend Patricia Reszetylo has developed a virtual 'Parade Of Breeds' at her web site and they're looking at the world of the American Drum Horse. Now I'd not heard of this breed but I'm going to have a good look. You can too here

Houdini Horses that can escape from just anywhere. It will give you a laugh and perhaps remind you of some of your experiences?

Did you know that horses and rabbits share an important feature? Both can see almost as well backwards as forwards. All this from a blog about Jesse Beery a famous US horse trainer from the turn of the 19th century. You can read about some of his methods here but we can save you heaps on the Jesse Beery course rather than buying there so have a look here

Here's a good clininc - EquiSearch's Ask the Vet: Diagnosing Lameness

Jodi has proudly told us of her new horse - I don't normally advertise like this but a purebred Pecheron is a rare breed in Australia. He is "Kamilaroi Gendarme" by Lasswade Olum out of Kamilaroi Xeres and he carries the bloodlines of the French import "Hermes". He is 8 months old and although currently black he is likely to go a dark grey. He will be standing at stud to selected TB mares and registered Percheron Warmbloods or Purebred Percherons in the 2010 season with a view to breeding quality Hunter/Eventer types. You may like to know that the following horses have Percheron Blood Peppermint Grove - Gillian Rolton, Charisma - Mark Todd, & Merlins Masterpiece (originally registered Kamilaroi Talisman)

Any enquiries can be directed to the website

Horses offer women a reprieve - Despite financial and emotional commitment, women's interest in horses is increasing. Nice article

Are North American mustangs similar to our Brumbies? This Horse Trainers article showcases the value of Mustangs

In your tack box you may have yellow ointment, purple ointment, green ointment or whatever but you'll never get a better treatment for scratches, cuts, bruises and grazes than H10 ointment. If you don't believe me than have a look at what other users have said then you can have 2 for 1 here

It's our wedding anniversary on Thursday - 38 years. Better not forget eh?
Have a great week.

Dragon Boats, Vitamins for Horsegirls, Washing Tips etc

Went Dragon Boating over the weekend (well, the better half did!)
to support Dragons Abreast, the breast cancer support group. Rained
all day but lots of keen people turned up and it was a great event.
I supported with lots of pictures and put some up on Face Book for
those of you interested:
http://tinyurl.com/5ma5ph

I found a new web site devoted to the care of foals but it has lots
of useful tools for all horses and is well worth a look:
http://www.foalcare.com

Here's a great washing tip courtesy of the current edition of Horse
and Rider.
When you toss your horse's dirty leg wraps into the washer you end
up with a tightly tangled mess. SO, tuck the wraps into a small
lingerie bag before you wash them. If you do more than one set at a
time, use a separate bag for each set. Result? No more tangles and
your sorting will already be done

In the USA, 'show apparel' is a big thing, particularly at Western
meets. Have a lool at some of the fashions for yourself. Click on
the 'apparel by Diane Olsen' link when you get on to this site but
beware, make sure the bank account is topped up.
http://www.showtimeshowclothing.com/apparel/index.html

Girls will be girls...and we love them for it. Here's a new site
with Vitamins by Horsegirls for Horsegirls. Um!
http://www.horsegirlvitamins.com/

Ron Meredith, a well know horse expert has written a short column
worth looking at and aptly entitled 'Training Mythunderstandings':
http://tinyurl.com/3wjga4

According to Heather Sullivan, deputy director of public relations
for the Humane Society of the United States, horse owners
nationwide are limiting or foregoing basic horse care, including
veterinary and farrier services, thanks to overall cost-of-living
increases. As a result, veterinarians are finding ways to help
owners minimize costs without sacrificing basic care:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12012
I asked the 'tame' vet about this one...I won't go into details about
his answer...

Lastly, I don't advertise often but with winter coming on now and
horses out and about, scratches, cuts, grazes bumps and bruises can
be a problem particularly if you don't spot them straight away. The
current wet weather in some parts might also see some Mud Fever
outbreaks too so get yourself a tub of H10 ointment.
We have a special this month where we're giving 2 for 1. Have a
look here, http://www.h-10.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=14 but don't just
take my word for it, there are some links there to lots of users
who have written of their great results with H10 ointment.
It's a must for your tack box or stable shelf.

Have a great week...don't forget the competition. We've had some
terrific entries so far.....

H10 - New Competition Starts!!

Hi there
Seems like our winter has started early this year...our wattle birds are broody again and I reckon they're are far too well endowed with hormones! Their latest escapade is to try and nest in not just one, but TWO hanging flower baskets on the back deck...all in all about two metres from our outside table! A bird of very little brain I'm thinking!

I've puts lots of new stuff on the web site under the What's New page (where else?!) and this week, at long last we start the NEW COMPETITION!!
It's the idea of Reena who sent in the suggestion that we should run a comp entitled 'Magic Moments'. What we'd like are the magic moments you have shared with your horse. It could be a magic ride you shared, a magic experience, a magic day, a magic result...a magic anything really!!! As before we'll judge the entries monthly and I'm looking forward to the company of the 'tame' vet once again. He's looking forward to the coffee and muffins as usual!

We'll award a great prize to the winner every month and publish the winning entry in this news letter and on the H10 site and H10 blog. Fame at last!!!
We'll also collate the entries and make up an e-book to give away at the end of the competition.
So, don't be shy...give it your best and share your 'Magic Moment' with the hundreds of horse lovers who receive this newsletter!! Here's the link to click on:
http://www.h-10.com.au/competition.asp

Have a great week!
Geoff

Some Great Articles This Week - Don't Miss Them

Terrible events in Burma that may be the worst since the S E Asia tsunami of a couple of years ago. I can only imagine what's it's like and a Burmese friend of mine hasn't heard from her relatives in a few days...very worrying. This isn't a charity site but if you can help then World Vision is helping there too:
http://www.worldvision.com.au/emergency/myanmarCyclone.asp?isource=64

Fibre in Hay - what's the magic amount? Christy West from The Horse, helps us:
http://tinyurl.com/5kkptd

Managing the Changing Needs of Older Horses
Time takes its toll in predictable ways, providing guidelines for managing the changing needs of older horses. This is a great article in Equisearch from Joanne Meszoly who wrote this after her experiences in WA:
http://tinyurl.com/4dqs72

Trimming Tips for Banded Manes by Patty Brumley. Try these tips for a tip-top mane trim.
http://tinyurl.com/6r3pg3

If you follow eventing, you'll know that there have been a spate of tragedies recently. Here are some discussions on proposed changes to make the sport safer from Nancy Jaffer and Practical Horseman.
http://tinyurl.com/4q4c5t

If you're taking your horse on a trip, then here's a great page of tips from The Horse for before, during, and after your trip to help your horses be safe, comfortable, and healthy.
http://tinyurl.com/3n24sk

We've had lots of interest in a CDROM we have on the site with the famous US horse trainer Jesse Beery's 'mail order horse training course' on it. Worth a look and not expensive either!
http://www.h-10.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=78

The wife is away for the weekend, the beer's in the fridge and the lads will be around later in the week. Who needs a shed?!!!
Hope you have a great weekend too!

...And The Rain Pours Down!!!

What a week! Firstly the the hard drive in one of our computers decided to quit. Ah, the importance of backing up your info!! If you don't as yet then I can really recommend it! Saves a lot of time and heartache and is definitely good for a marriage....and I have been christened 'Grumpy Old 'Git' because I couldn't find theback up copies!
Second, the rain continues to drop and I hate grey skies.
Third, good news, the Sydney Royal Show has some horse events reinstated and I've attached the link for the show schedule for anyone interested!
http://tinyurl.com/2n4t3e
And finally, the fig tree has ripened and it's me against the birds. I'm using plastic snakes and shiny CDs to keep them off and so far failed miserably! Any ideas??

Here's a timely article from Cyberhorse on getting your horse fit after a lay off - sorry about some of the feed ads in it but the info is pretty sound:
http://tinyurl.com/2fhbxu

Here's how to tell if your horse is fat!! Um, might try it myself!!
http://tinyurl.com/2d9foc

Dr. Joyce Harman explains how to fit a treeless saddle for different types of horses and riders - I didn't know much about this but it's an interesting article:
http://tinyurl.com/2r8s9y

Watch video clips from George Morris' Lessons in Horsemanship DVD as he guides eight young riders through a special training session - these are all U Tube videos so they might take a little time to load if you don't have broadband...worth a look though!
http://tinyurl.com/yrdfor

Thanks to Equisearch for the last 3 article links.
This is your LAST chance for H10 grooming products at COST price...closing soon so stock up for the upcoming seasons:http://www.h10.com.au/

And with the rain thundering down I'll bid you a very good week!

Heza Star - Ivery Park Stud Champion ASH

Here's a great picture of Heza Star - one of Jackie Long's Champion stallions from Ivery Park Stud. Heza Star took out the High Point Horse of the Show sponsored by RM Williams and Denis Jackson Saddler award at the recent ASH Nationals.

This beautiful animal is of course groomed with H10 grooming products and I have to admit that they make a superb horse like this, look even better....don't you agree!!!

ASH Nationals

Spent the last few days at the ASH Nationals in Camden about 60klms south of Sydney. Had a wonderful time with some great people andsome of the nicest natured horses I've ever been around...same for the people too! The event was huge and shows how the ASH fraternity is growing...they even have a branch in the US now!! We were very happy to sponsor some of the events and the overall level of competition was very high. We'll be back!!
This week we've gone for some good, useful articles for you. Here's a guide and a downloadable file on preventing laminitis :http://tinyurl.com/2mzzlb
I'm not a 3 day event fan but there are some lovely all action event pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/2zhegp
It's tough when your horse passes on...grief can be devastating if you don't know how to handle it. Here are some resources:http://tinyurl.com/2m9eol
Finally, here's a story about what happens when your horse gets back problems: http://tinyurl.com/346rb9
All our articles this week are courtesy of Equisearch..thanks to them!
Nearly forgot - We have 4 copies of 'Chicken Soup For The HorseLovers Soul' available. Just arrived at http://www.h10.com.au/